
Lebanese president urges pressure on Israel to halt attacks on Lebanon
"We call on our partners and allies to intensify pressure on Israel to halt its violations and fully commit to UN Security Council Resolution 1701," Aoun said, according to a statement released by Lebanon's presidency.
The president's remarks came during a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Aoun emphasized Lebanon's appreciation for Britain's support, particularly at the UN, where he hopes London will continue to advocate for renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) amid mounting regional tensions, reported Xinhua news agency.
The Lebanese government submitted a request to extend the mandate of UNIFIL for an additional year, until August 31, 2026. The UN Security Council is expected to vote on the mandate renewal before its expiration at the end of August.
During the talks, Aoun warned that Israel's continued occupation of the Lebanese territory obstructed efforts to restore calm and stability along the border. He also condemned Israel's refusal to release Lebanese prisoners, as well as its persistent violations, including aerial and artillery strikes that have reached areas near Beirut's southern suburbs and major roads leading into the capital.
"These provocations prevent the Lebanese state from fully asserting its sovereignty, protecting its citizens, and enforcing decisions," Aoun said.
Calling for international intervention, Aoun urged Britain and other global powers to demand that Israel withdraw from the Lebanese territory and provide formal guarantees that future attacks will cease.
For his part, Lammy reaffirmed the strength of the Britain-Lebanon relationship and pledged Britain's ongoing support across multiple sectors, especially in defense and security cooperation. He noted that Britain is closely following developments in the country with "great interest and continued solidarity."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
India abstains from UN resolution on Afghanistan, flags terror concerns
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, announced that India has abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution concerning Afghanistan, citing ongoing concerns about the use of Afghan territory by designated terrorist groups."We welcome the strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22, 2025, by the Afghan side," Harish said during his statement at the UN. "The international community must direct its coordinated efforts towards ensuring that entities & individuals designated by the UN Security Council, the Al Qaeda and their affiliates, ISIL and their affiliates, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, along with their regional sponsors who facilitate their operations, no longer exploit the Afghan territory for terrorist activities."#WATCH | The statement of the Permanent Representative of India to the UN in New York, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, on the UNGA Resolution on the situation in says, "...We welcome the strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22, 2025, by ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2025advertisementIndia's abstention comes amid heightened security concerns following the deadly April attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. New Delhi has consistently raised alarms over terror networks operating from across the region, calling for international accountability and stronger action against those who enable such acts. He noted that on the political front, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently spoke with the Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan welcomed 'the strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack' of April 22 by the Afghan side.'This conversation followed a meeting between India's Foreign Secretary and the Acting Foreign Minister, where both sides discussed various bilateral issues and regional developments,' Harish had spoken with Muttaqi in May, his first interaction with the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister.'Good conversation with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi this evening. Deeply appreciate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Welcomed his firm rejection of recent attempts to create distrust between India and Afghanistan through false and baseless reports.'Underlined our traditional friendship with the Afghan people and continuing support for their development needs. Discussed ways and means of taking cooperation forward,' Jaishankar had reaffirming India's longstanding partnership with the Afghan people, Harish underscored that India's decision was based on both principle and pragmatism. 'I would like to reiterate India's historic ties with the people of Afghanistan and our enduring commitment to meeting their humanitarian and developmental needs,' he noted."While we remain committed to continued engagement with all relevant stakeholders and broadly support the international community's efforts towards a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, India has decided to abstain on this resolution," he stated that India's immediate priorities in Afghanistan include providing humanitarian assistance and implementing capacity-building initiatives for the Afghan people. 'India's commitment to Afghanistan's reconstruction is demonstrated through more than 500 development partnership projects across all provinces,' he said.- EndsMust Watch


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Renaming controversy mars reopening of VR school in Nellore
Tirupati: Controversy marred the reopening of the 150-year-old VR school on the very first day as endowments minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy raised objection to the renaming the school as VR municipal corporation school. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Soon after HRD minister Nara Lokesh formally reopened the school on Monday, Ramnarayana Reddy expressed his displeasure over the renaming of the school in his address. The school, which was established in 1875, was shut down in 2021 during the erstwhile YSRCP regime. Till then, control of the British era school's management was with the Anam family, considered a powerful political family in Nellore since the times of AC Subba Reddy, who was the first person from the Anam family to rise to the position of state minister. While former legislator Anam Vivekananda Reddy continued as the president of the management committee of VR college and school for several decades, Ramnarayana Reddy, the present endowments minister, was the president of the committee around the time of the school's closure in 2021. After Lokesh reopened the school, the minister raised his objection over the renaming of the school as VR municipal corporation school, just because municipal administration minister Ponguru Narayana extended support for its development and reopening. "The erstwhile YSRCP regime bore a grudge against me and got me removed from the management committee's president position. However, the management of VR school still wrests with the Anam family," he asserted. In an apparent dig aimed at fellow cabinet minister Narayana, he suggested that the municipal administration minister should adopt and develop more govt schools in the state. "Narayana ventured into politics only after tasting success with the corporate schools established by him across the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But ours is a family with very long political legacy. We have been in politics from the very beginning," he said. After remaining closed for four years, the school was renovated and upgraded to international standards by the NDA govt in the state, mainly due to the efforts of Narayana. In a noble gesture, the school has provided admissions to nearly 1,000 students from underprivileged sections of the society. Lokesh visited all the classrooms and interacted with students and teaching staff. He also visited the playground. "This school provided education to stalwarts from all walks of life, like former Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, playback singer SP Balasubramanyam, senior leaders Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, to name a few. It is my dream to transform school education in the state in a big way by upgrading govt schools in the state to corporate school standards," he said.


India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
India's triumph at Brics: PM unites summit against terrorism, pushes reforms
India emerged as a leading voice at the 17th Brics Summit in Brazil, securing a unanimous condemnation of terrorism and pushing for urgent reforms in global governance institutions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation shaped the summit's agenda, particularly spotlighting the fight against summit, themed 'Strengthening Global South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance,' concluded with the adoption of the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, which reflected many of India's strategic concerns. It delivered a sharp message on cross-border terrorism, while also highlighting the contradictions in China's the session on Peace and Security, PM Modi condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. He described it as an 'assault on humanity.' The Brics declaration echoed this sentiment, denouncing the attack in the 'strongest terms' and rejecting 'double standards' in countering terrorism. The declaration called for decisive action against UN-designated terrorists and those who fund or shelter them—an implicit reference to Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism. Speaking at a press conference, Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India's diplomatic efforts ensured that Para 34 of the declaration captured a united stand against terrorism, including those who 'abet, finance, covertly or overtly.'The reference to the 'cross-border movement of terrorists' served as a direct nod to India's longstanding concerns. The PM said that 'victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be weighed on the same scale,' and called for sanctions on those who aid terrorists. All 11 Brics members and partner countries expressed solidarity, marking a diplomatic win for China's dual role drew criticism. While Beijing joined the condemnation of the Pahalgam attack, it continues to shield Pakistan by blocking UN designations of Pakistan-based terrorists. PM Modi's pointed remark against those offering 'silent consent' to terrorism for political gain appeared to target this inconsistency. Though Chinese Premier Li Qiang led the delegation in place of President Xi Jinping, India's assertive diplomacy ensured that terrorism remained central to the summit's the security agenda, India led the charge for reforming global institutions. The PM called for a 'multipolar and inclusive world order' and stressed the need to overhaul the UN Security Council, IMF, World Bank, and WTO to reflect current global realities. According to Dammu Ravi, Para 6 of the declaration 'strongly endorsed' this demand, and highlighted the roles of India and Brazil in elevating the voice of the Global also advanced a proposal for a Brics science and research repository to secure critical mineral supply chains and develop responsible AI, in line with its commitment to sustainable development. In bilateral talks with countries like Malaysia, Cuba, South Africa, and Vietnam, the Prime Minister promoted collaboration in digital infrastructure such as UPI and the integration of India prepares to assume the Brics leadership in 2026, PM Modi's leadership at the summit has cemented its image as a global advocate against terrorism and a proponent of equitable governance. While challenges remain, especially with China's contradictory actions, the summit outcomes marked a strong endorsement of India's priorities.- Ends IN THIS STORY#BRICS